Pacific Palisades Art Association will host “Studio in a Box” on Sunday, June 22, from 1 to 3 p.m., with a lecture by Ruth Askren.
“Ruth Askren will be teaching how to compact your studio to a corner of your room, the dining room or on a patio,” according to PPAA. “You can also pack the studio in your car and paint outdoors—en plein air—with just a few adjustments.”
Askren—who has “artwork in many collections, galleries and exhibits around Southern California and worldwide,” according to a bio—is a member of the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore.
PPAA wrote that the program is “for those who want to streamline their painting practice while getting the full benefit of great painting materials and an efficient set up.”
“If you are searching for a way to set up a functional place to paint within a small footprint, then this workshop is for you,” PPAA said.
The lecture will take place at Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club, which is located at 1210 Fourth Street in Santa Monica. Space is limited, so RSVPs can be made to 310-351-2346.
More Than 700 Seniors Attend Ceremony at Hollywood Bowl
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
If ever a group of young people is aware of the challenges life presents, it is the 740 Palisades Charter High School seniors who walked the stage to receive their diplomas at the end of their commencement ceremony on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 4, at Hollywood Bowl.
Graduation is traditionally held at Stadium by the Sea, but the 17,500-seat amphitheater off of the 101 Freeway was a fine alternative for students whose last few months of in-person classes were in the former Sears building in Santa Monica following the Palisades fire in January that damaged 40% of the Pali High campus.
As the blue-robed graduates filed in from both sides to their assigned seats, the Pali High Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band and Drum Line performed the processional tune of Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance,” after which Student Body President Charlie Speiser, whose house burned down in the fire, led the pledge of allegiance and took a moment to honor the life and legacy of friend and Palisadian Braun Levi.
Willa Browne and Annika Johansson then duetted the national anthem. Next, 15 graduates took turns participating in a multi-lingual welcome: Andjela Malisich (Serbian); Gianluca Martinez (Spanish); Giada Musumesci (Italian); Finn Nance (Lithuanian); Alexios Stamepolous (Greek); Sofya Vaivad (Russian); Martha Valkov (Bulgarian); Madison Cheungsomboune (Mandarin); Sofia Engstad (Norwegian); KaLyssa Ferdinand (French); Isabella Karimi and Savannah Youabian (Farsi); Jiwon Kim (Korean); and Noa and Roi Levertov (Hebrew).
“When asked about their dream location for their high school culmination the top response of the senior class was—you guessed it—the Hollywood Bowl,” Principal Dr. Pam Magee said during the opening address. “Thank you to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Board of Directors for making this dream come true and providing us the opportunity to gather as a community in this beautiful, magical, historical location. Thank you to all our administrators, teachers, counselors and staff for preparing our seniors for their future endeavors.”
A video message was shown on the screens on either side of the stage featuring Governor Gavin Newsom, who concluded his two-minute statement saying: “Think about everything you’ve gone through in the last four years—the pandemic, social unrest, the drought, the floods and obviously the devastation of these fires—but the fact that you’re here is a testament to your grit and recognition that it’s not what happens to you, it’s how you respond to what happens to you. It’s decisions, not conditions, that determine your fate.”
Next to talk was Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member Nick Melvoin.
“If you can’t have an ocean view, this isn’t a bad consolation prize,” Melvoin said. “I don’t care how corny this sounds, but when things around you have gone low, you have gone Pali High.”
Magee then introduced 1983 Pali High alum, nine-time NBA champion and current Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who was greeted with thunderous applause.
“A mere 42 years ago I was in your shoes on the Pali football field, and I remember feeling very unsure of myself in my cap and gown,” Kerr said. “I was an aspiring basketball player with no place to play. I didn’t have a college scholarship, I didn’t have any college coaches knocking on my door, I had a less-than-inspiring 1070 SAT score in my back pocket, and while many of my classmates were seemingly mapping out their futures, I had no idea what was next. The thought I’m here giving the commencement address … if somebody had said back then that this would happen I would’ve laughed at them.
“Somehow, mainly due to good fortune of being born into a life of opportunity, I found my way into a career of basketball. Yes, it helped that I had good hand-eye coordination and that I led the Hippos to the 1972 championship at the [Malibu] Palisades YMCA on Via De La Paz and that my dad was a professor at UCLA, taking me to games at Pauley Pavilion during the John Wooden era, sparking a lifelong love for the game.”
Kerr said that after playing in summer leagues across Los Angeles after graduation, he did “just well enough” to be offered “a last-second scholarship” to University of Arizona, which is here his “journey in basketball really took off.”
“When I think back to all those days playing on the blacktop at Palisades Elementary, Paul Revere and Pali, I never could’ve imagined living the life I live today,” Kerr said. “The game has given me so much, and I feel like the luckiest person on earth.”
Photo by Chuck Larsen Photography
Kerr passed along words of wisdom from three people who helped him on his journey: San Antonio Spurs head coach Greg Popovich (for whom Kerr played for four seasons and won two titles); Phil Jackson (Kerr’s coach in Chicago where he helped the Bulls win three straight titles alongside Michael Jordan); and All-Star Steph Curry (Golden State’s franchise player while Kerr has coached the organization to four titles since 2015).
“Coach Popovich had a great saying: ‘by the accident of birth,’ and I love that expression … remember that you are one of the lucky ones,” Kerr said. “Coach Jackson used to say basketball is a metaphor for life, and what he meant is that the only way to flourish on or off the court is to learn how to work with others. Basketball is a five-man symphony. The best teams become more than the sum of their parts and life is no different.”
Kerr told the graduating class that whatever career they choose, they will find “the most satisfaction” when “engaged deeply with others.”
“Even you Lakers fans like Steph Curry and, in his words, be humble, be confident, be present,” Kerr said. “I’ve never seen a guy with a greater combination of confidence and humility, and to me those things should absolutely go hand in hand.
“If I can give one piece of advice for you graduates today it’s to figure out what it means to be emotionally intelligent. It’s self awareness, understanding yours and others’ emotions, and it’s a powerful force that’ll help you in every aspect of your life.”
Kerr, who met with Pali High basketball coach Jeff Bryant and his players after the Lakers-Warriors game February 6 at Crypto.com Arena and told the seniors he would try to make their graduation if the Warriors were out of the playoffs, was true to his word. After his speech he hugged his mom Ann, whose house atop Chautauqua (and the one her son grew up in), was destroyed in the fire.
Attentions then turned to the video screens to watch a senior video produced by film teacher Malia Jakus and Pali High film students, after which Magee introduced the program’s second special guest speaker: six-time Emmy Award-winner, Tony Award-winner, actor, comedian, director, humanitarian and a former Honorary Mayor of the Palisades Billy Crystal, speaking on his 55th wedding anniversary with Janice.
“Every year Janice and I have taken this day to do something special, go someplace, but the Clippers and Knicks sort of determined we should be here,” he started, inducing laughter. “After the invitation to speak arrived, we spoke about it and thought what could be more special than to be here with you in this intimate setting after all that you and your families have been through, and tell you how proud I am of you and all of the people who made it possible for you to finish your studies in the building where I once bought a washer and dryer?
“I don’t know any of you but I know all of you. We’ve shared difficult times alone together. COVID robbed us of so many important things in our seclusion, and for you that meant being together, going to classes, football, basketball, baseball games, hanging out—for those in the Palisades—at Garden Cafe, or getting sushi at Gelson’s or going into Toppings and tasting everything but never buying anything.
“After those dark days were gone, we all experienced the unthinkable tragedy on January 7. For those of us who lost our homes and everything in them, we faced a seemingly impossible situation. For us, it was our only home for 46 years … all gone in less than 15 minutes, according to a gallant fireman who was trying to help us.
“For many of you, it was the same, and to compound this, we lost our town and you lost your school … monumental anchors of all of our lives. But from this chaos comes something very important—perspective. Many of you have been relocated, your stuff is gone, the things you loved and took for granted never to be seen again, but now replaced by life lessons. Out of pain comes growth, out of loss comes wins, out of despair comes joy.”
Six weeks after the fires, Crystal and former major league manager Joe Torre visited the Pali High baseball team during practice at Rancho Park and shared how important it is to have something you do that you love and talking to your coach if you are feeling down is not a sign of weakness but of strength.
“In a few days it’ll be [five] months since the fires but now, as the town and school you love so much begins the slow process of rebuilding, you’re leaving it, you’re heading to the next stage of your lives and I envy you,” he concluded. “It’s your time. Off you go. You’re on your way—you’re driving. Life is not a Waymo. The road ahead is long, windy, sometimes bumpy and you know there’ll be detours, but after what you’ve been through you’re going to navigate it with grace. The future is yours 2025 … and call us when you get there.”
Acapali performed a musical interlude arranged by Diya Prakash titled “End of the Road,” Senior Class President Taylor Beljon-Regen spoke about how it is the people, not the place, that she will remember most.
She was followed by Annalisa Hurd, who began her valedictorian address by stating her 15-year-old self, who had been certain of the future and made predictions about what her life would be like now, “was right about some things—like the classes she’d be taking—but a lot of it was totally off.”
“She was so sure I’d continue pursuing ballet, for example, but life had other plans,” Hurd said. “Honestly, our whole high school experience has been defined by life having other plans. Who could’ve predicted we’d be graduating at the Hollywood Bowl or that we’d finish senior year learning in what used to be a department store? Life doesn’t always follow the script we write …
“My sophomore self did have a couple wise things to say. She said ‘Take every chance and live every moment of life to the fullest since you don’t get much of it.’ I hope we carry that attitude with us throughout life and embrace the unexpected.”
A video greeting by Sam Jacobson, a “Grad Medley” arranged by Henry Jamison and performed by Pali High’s senior musicians, and sentiments from two other speakers, Anthony Haladjian and Cyrus Hemmens preceded the long-anticipated presentation of diplomas, after which Magee instructed the Class of 2025 to move their tassels from the right side of their caps to the left, symbolizing their transition from student to graduate.
The recessional song was Kool & the Gang’s 1980 hit “Celebration.”
As debris removal and rebuilding efforts are underway across Pacific Palisades, Mayor Karen Bass announced on June 6 that global infrastructure firm AECOM has been selected to “support a number of long-term components in the city’s recovery effort.”
“AECOM will work alongside city officials and Hagerty Consulting, which has been focused on debris removal and immediate disaster recovery support in the wake of the wildfires, to execute a community-driven rebuilding plan that is the least disruptive to residents and business owners with the widespread, ongoing construction of homes, buildings and public infrastructure in the Pacific Palisades,” according to the city.
AECOM will help develop and support a “comprehensive rebuilding master plan that is informed by the community” and an “infrastructure reconstruction plan for the phased deployment of all utilities above and below ground, in tandem with widespread commercial and residential construction.”
The firm will also help create a “logistics plan for materials management in coordination with local builders and suppliers,” as well as a “master traffic plan to manage an increased number of builders, trucks, construction materials and other activity as more and more property owners begin the rebuilding process.”
“AECOM’s expertise in long-term infrastructure planning and design will only further expedite our work to get families home,” Bass said in a statement.
AECOM has 30-plus years of disaster recovery experience, including a “working history with FEMA,” according to its website. The firm has managed recovery efforts after hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and wildfires, including fires in Colorado, the Northridge Earthquake and flood relief in Hawaii.
When it comes to ongoing debris removal work, the number of sites cleared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Palisades fire area was 3,450 as of Monday, June 9, according to Melanie Peterson with the USACE Public Affairs Office. There are 3,106 sites that have received final sign off in the Palisades fire area.
USACE had received 4,292 rights of entry from the county so far. There are 842 parcels remaining to be cleared, with 1,186 remaining for final sign off.
“We have completed final sign off for 72% of the rights of entry we’ve received,” Peterson explained. “This number may fluctuate if we receive more eligible ROEs from the county.”
The five-day average for sites cleared by USACE is 14, with 37 debris crews working in the Palisades fire area.
In the city of Los Angeles, 81 rebuilding permits had been issued as of May 30, according to the mayor’s office. The most recent number of properties in the city of LA with no opt in or out of the government-run debris removal program was 36, according to the city attorney’s office.
Properties in the county of LA—which includes unincorporated areas, like Sunset Mesa and Topanga—that opted out of the government-run debris removal program had a deadline of June 1 to pull a permit for private debris removal, with a deadline of June 30 to have debris cleared. These deadlines apply to commercial properties in unincorporated areas of LA County as well, which do not typically qualify for government-run debris removal and, in most cases, will be handled privately. For non-compliant properties, a nuisance abatement process will begin.
For properties in the city of LA’s jurisdiction, letters from the Department of Building and Safety were to be sent to non-responsive properties, according to Councilmember Traci Park. The mayor’s office did not respond to the Palisadian-Post’s requests for information about the deadline for properties to comply before the city would enforce its nuisance abatement process for private and commercial properties.
The abatement process will apply to residential properties in the city of LA that have not opted in or out, have opted out but not pulled permits for private debris clearance, or pulled permits but have not completed the work, Park described, “to make sure that all properties are being timely cleared.”
Violet Chapman Robinson Photos courtesy of Lizzy Robinson
The Selection Process and Story Were Postponed Following the Palisades Fire
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
The first baby born to a Palisadian family in 2025 is Violet Chapman Robinson, who arrived the morning of January 10 to parents Lizzy and Brian Robinson at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica.
The family, which includes Violet’s older sister, Clara Chapman Robinson, 2, resides in the Highlands in a town home they purchased in 2020. While their home is still standing, they have been displaced since the Palisades fire began on January 7.
“It’s been a really bittersweet time,” Lizzy said to the Palisadian-Post of having Violet just three days after the fire started. “Also very confusing and hard to navigate, but Violet has brought us so much joy.”
She said that watching her older daughter become a big sister has been “such a joyful time,” but that “it’s really hard to believe that something so sad can coexist with something so happy as well.” Lizzy described having “so many plans” of taking Violet back home with them, with a nursery “all set up.”
“We were so excited,” Lizzy said, “and I was so excited for this maternity leave with both of my girls.”
Lizzy—who grew up in the Palisades after moving to the area at the age of 6 from New York—described their experience since Violet’s arrival as “nomadic,” but they are currently living in Manhattan Beach after spending time in places like Palm Desert. Her parents reside in the Highlands in the house where Lizzy grew up, which had “substantial damage” to the side, but is still standing. Brian grew up in Brentwood.
“We had a tough experience actually getting out of the Highlands,” Lizzy said. “We unfortunately couldn’t get out when we tried to evacuate. I think just going through something so frightening—having my 2-year-old in the back of the car, realizing that we couldn’t get out—and then realizing, once we did get out, how bad the fire actually was.”
Violet and Clara
Lizzy said her parents came to visit Violet while they were in the hospital—not knowing at the time if their houses had made it through the fire. Her dad was tracking through an AirTag that kept going off, which they took to mean the home was still standing.
“That’s how chaotic and confusing it was at the time,” Lizzy described. “We were celebrating this beautiful little baby’s birth and then we were also trying to figure out if our home had burned down.”
Lizzy said the news of having the first baby of the year was “very exciting” after “so much uncertainty and fear and sadness” surrounding the fire and its aftermath.
“It was nice, too, to be connected back to the Palisadian-Post, even though so many Palisadians are all over LA [and] outside of LA,” Lizzy said. “It was nice to have that connection back to my home.”
With her parents in Marina Del Rey, Lizzy said one of the things she is missing the most is being five minutes from family members. She said she “really can’t wait” until they are in “super close proximity again.”
“There’s so many wonderful things about the community of the Palisades,” Lizzy said. “I’m really just looking forward to bringing them back there and hopefully raising them there too for a long time.”
The tradition of honoring the baby born closest to 12 a.m. on January 1 began in the paper in 1954 and has been published since. In past years, entries have been sought in January, with the story published at the end of January or early February. This year’s selection process and story were postponed following the Palisades fire.
The family received a basket of prizes from contest sponsors, including a handmade quilt from Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club, a gift certificate to Sanctuary Spa at the Palisades (temporarily closed but still standing with plans to reopen), items and a gift card from The Pump Station & Nurtury in Santa Monica, and products from Busy Benny—which were delivered before Founder Laura Gowing lost her inventory and home in the fire.
Other contest sponsors are Above Bar, The Gray Dragon and tawnya, who lost their business spaces, inventories and homes in the fire. The Post wanted to acknowledge and thank them for their willingness to sponsor the contest.
Caruso at a press conference at Palisades Recreation Center on April 10 Photo courtesy of the office of Mayor Karen Bass
PPCC Board Votes to Support Project Chimney
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
Pacific Palisades Community Council met on Thursday, May 22, for its most recent board meeting, which featured guest speakers Rick Caruso and Nick Geller of Steadfast LA who provided updates and insights on local development and community recovery following the Palisades fire.
Steadfast LA—led by Caruso—launched in February to assemble the “expertise, influence and power” of the private sector to expedite the rebuilding of the communities destroyed by the January fires. Doing so would reportedly cut through delays and develop solutions with real estate, finance and construction departments, and others.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced on April 10 the launch of a public-private partnership that will fund, redesign and rebuild Palisades Recreation Center following damage sustained in the January fire—alongside Steadfast LA and other groups.
“It’s just really exciting to have you here because Steadfast has been so proactive and so supportive,” PPCC President Sue Kohl said during the meeting. “I think we just all want to hear what you might be thinking about … what’s happening at the Rec Center, what other ideas you have, what other projects you might be working on.”
Caruso reported he and his team are “moving the needle” forward everyday, “all day long.” Caruso said designs for the Rec Center are underway, as well as fundraising. Through Steadfast LA, private funding is being raised to revitalize public spaces that are central to the community, including the Rec Center.
“The goal is that we want to get the Rec Center under construction in about a year, and that’s what we’re going to be pushing for,” Caruso explained.
Caruso also said he has also been working with Los Angeles Unified School District, as he said it is a priority to reopen the public schools in the Palisades.
“We’re glad that they’re going to be getting [Palisades Charter High School] open,” he said. “Marquez [Charter Elementary School] is going to open up for next season, which is great.”
For Palisades Charter Elementary School, Caruso said there are discussions about advancing and shortening the timeframe down to get the school open “as quickly as possible,” with a goal of reopening within a year and a half to two years.
“We think that can happen,” he said. “It will be a heavy lift, but we’re going to dedicate a lot of our resources to supporting the school system.”
After providing a number of updates, Caruso and Geller answered questions from attendees.
One attendee asked the team if they would consider installing a solar canopy for the Rec Center’s parking lot—which would utilize solar panels on a supportive frame to provide shade for vehicles and simultaneously generate electricity.
“We always look at doing solar and, unfortunately, it never pencils out,” Caruso said. “But my team here is looking at it again. They have it at the Grove, so yes, we will take a look at that … It’s a good idea.”
Following the presentation, the PPCC Board continued its agenda, which included unanimously passing a motion, sponsored by the Executive Committee, to support Project Chimney. House Museum Director Evan Hall presented on the project during the Thursday, May 8, PPCC board meeting.
Project Chimney emerged as an initiative to “catalogue, relocate and memorialize a selection of historically significant chimneys in the Pacific Palisades burn zone,” according to a statement. Over 55 historically significant chimneys have been identified, dating back to Palisades’ founding in 1922.
“Designed by master architects Frank Lloyd Wright Jr., Paul R. Williams and Richard Neutra, surviving chimneys capture a glimpse of the architectural DNA of Los Angeles.”
House Museum is working with community members to salvage and preserve select chimneys, a project that will culminate in a permanent installation known as the Palisades Fire Memorial, situated ideally “somewhere in the Santa Monica Mountains.”
When it comes to PPCC officers, there were no additional officer nominations from board members, meaning the nominating committee’s candidates—and current PPCC officers—will be re-elected during PPCC’s June 12 meeting, including Kohl, Vice-President Quentin Fleming, Treasurer Jenny Li and Secretary Beth Holden-Garland.
“We thank all the officers for their willingness to continue serving the board and community,” PPCC said in a follow-up to the meeting.
The project area Photo courtesy of Demos Development
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
The Planning and Land Use Management Committee considered a report at a May 27 hearing from West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission and an appeal filed by the Castellammare Mesa Homeowners Association, which challenged the approval of the environment clearance and a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the “large-scale development” of four homes in Castellammare, recommending to grant the appeal and remand the environmental analysis to WLAAPC.
The project would take the space of 12 existing lots along the 17500 blocks of Tramonto and Revello drives at the top of the Tramonto landslide, ranging from 2,619 square feet to 7,695 square feet (each with 2,428 to 6,292 square feet of basement space), as well as a 200-foot extension of Revello Drive. It has been the subject of several community meetings, including Pacific Palisades Community Council.
“Local residents, many of whom lost their homes in the January 7 fire, and [the] Homeowners Association, have long opposed the development on safety grounds,” Castellammare Mesa Homeowners Association said in a statement. “Last year the Los Angeles Westside Planning Commission approved the project, despite the fire code waiver, but as Kimberly Feder, president of the Homeowner’s Association, said, ‘Circumstances have changed and we hope the City Council will correct course.’”
Castellammare Mesa Homeowners Association voiced its concerns, explaining that the project—if approved—would exempt the developer from complying with the Los Angeles Municipal Fire Code and could hinder first responders’ access to a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
“As proposed, the only way in and out of the development will be a winding road that narrows to 12 [feet] four [inches], not enough to allow two small cars to pass each other, let alone fire trucks,” the statement continued. “This sets a dangerous precedent for future development in Pacific Palisades by waiving fire safety code for new developments.”
Castellammare Mesa Homeowners Association also expressed concern over the sites of the proposed development project being built within the Tramonto landslide.
During the May 27 meeting, Councilmember Traci Park provided an overview of the Palisades as it stands, as well as comments in support of granting the appeal. Park explained to the PLUM Committee that in the aftermath of the January 7 Palisades fire, the Castellammare neighborhood lost 48% of its homes, and is home to the Tramonto landslide, “the city’s most active and well-documented.” A landslide occurred in February 2024, which blocked the right lane of Pacific Coast Highway.
“Over the last several months, we saw major flooding and mud and debris flow, as well as active landslide activity,” Park said. “We’re continuing to struggle to move heavy trucks and equipment on very tiny, narrow, windy roads … The fire’s destruction did not spare infrastructure. We have damaged roads, bulkheads, water lines and drainage systems. I believe a Mitigated Negative Declaration is inadequate for this proposed development, and that a site-specific Environmental Impact Report is needed to study the unique or particular conditions to this site on a very active landslide area, being located in the Pacific Palisades burn area. I believe that the appeal should be granted and the matter should be remanded back to the West LA Area Planning Commission.”
A number of Castellammare residents followed Park, echoing her concerns to the PLUM Committee, expressing an urgency for a site-specific EIR to protect the future of the neighborhood.
“I am very moved by the concerns about the NMD being done prior to the fire and the landslide issues … are very serious,” a board member said after listening to public comments.
The PLUM Committee then recommended to grant the appeal and remand the environmental analysis to the WLAAPC.
The applicant, Demos Development, was called during the meeting. Neither the applicant nor their representatives, Greg Demos and Tony Russo (Crest Real Estate), stepped forward to speak.
The matter was then submitted to the Los Angeles City Council for consideration, and the City Clerk scheduled the item to be discussed on June 4. LA City Council voted to adopt the PLUM Committee’s report. As directed by the City Council, the applicant will need to file a new application for environmental review.
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, Senator Ben Allen and Supervisor Lindsey Horvath are partnering to host a virtual Wildfire Preparedness meeting on Thursday, June 12, at 5:30 p.m.
The meeting will be focused on Zone 0, newly released fire hazard severity maps and home hardening.
“The presentation will feature California State Fire Marshall Daniel Berlant, as well as representatives from CAL FIRE, both Los Angeles County and City Fire Departments, and the California Department of Insurance,” according to a statement. “This is an opportunity for residents to achieve an understanding of newly formed regulations and fire severity maps, as well as how to keep their homes, businesses and families safe during a wildfire event.”
Mastro’s Ocean Club Malibu has reopened its Pacific Coast Highway restaurant following a five-month closure after the Palisades fire.
“Experience exceptional service, nightly live entertainment along with the finest prime steak, the freshest seafood, and an award-winning wine and spirits program,” according to a statement from the restaurant. “Mastro’s Ocean Club menu favorites include the majestic seafood tower of chilled crab legs, shrimp and oysters served over a cloud of dry-ice, decadent lobster mashed potatoes, and Mastro’s famed butter cake.”
The restaurant’s current hours are Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. Summer holiday hours include Sunday, June 15, from 12 to 9 p.m. and Friday, July 4, from 2 to 9 p.m.
Pacific Palisades Community Council is seeking applications to become the Area Three 2nd alternate representative on its board.
Area Three, according to the PPCC website, encompasses “Marquez Knolls and both sides of Sunset Boulevard from Palisades Drive to Bienveneda Avenue, Saint Matthew’s School and the Bel-Air Bay Club.”
“For this purpose, persons whose principal residence address was in Area Three prior to the Palisades fire and have either returned to live at that address, or have moved away temporarily and intend to return to live at their principal Area Three address, will be considered Area Three residents,” according to PPCC.
Those interested in becoming the Area Three 2nd alternate representative on the board must apply by submitting a statement.
“All interested persons must submit a statement of any length, which shall include the number of years residing in Pacific Palisades; the number of years as a resident of Area Three; and the number of years at the applicant’s principal residence and that address,” according to PPCC. “The statement must include the applicant’s position on issues they believe are of importance to the community, and may also include a few biographical facts, including any skills that the applicant would bring to PPCC.”
Candidates will then be reviewed and nominated by the PPCC Three Chairs Committee and elected by the board to serve the same term as primary Area Three Representative Julia Nilsen, which ends on September 30, 2026.
Applications are due by email to info@pacpalicc.org by Saturday, July 6, at 5 p.m. For more information, visit pacpalicc.org.
The truth is, folks aren’t drawn to the Palisades because of the homes. There’re plenty of spots out there with great homes.
People are drawn to the Palisades because of its heart. Because it feels like a place where kindness lingers.
Because it feels comfortable to them. Reminds them of who they are. Their roots. What they value.
And then they become us, and we become them.
Here’s the story of one of those people—who passed through in the breeze of the night.
——-
A month ago, Tina Canales was being “Tina.”
Absolutely full of life, full of joy, with a big smile on her face, full-speed ahead running and weaving between so many charitable projects she touched. Projects in the Palisades, in her hometown of Berkeley and in St. Helena. Projects with one thing in common.
Helping people.
That was Tina, 24/7.
All projects where she knew she could make a difference—and she’d jump head-first, right in the pool.
A month ago, she wasn’t feeling great, went to her doctor.
Two weeks later—she passed away in her husband’s and three girls’ arms. A cancer in her lungs and blood clotting triggered a series of strokes that took her life.
You talk about someone making you realize how fragile life is …
——-
My wife Catherine and I knew Tina because she and her husband Greg Onken (they don’t make a guy any better) had a condo in town—right above us.
Make sense of this.
Even though Tina lived in Berkeley and St. Helena—she ran our condo’s HOA Board. Ran it.
And beloved by everyone in our community of neighbors.
——-
Catherine and I just got back from her emotional funeral in St. Helena, in an absolutely packed church.
Everyone across every pew shared something in common. In meaningful ways, Tina touched all their lives. Tina made them all feel so important to her—and important to their world.
That was her gift.
Here’s what I’m talking about.
My daughter Kaitlyn, her husband Jimmy and their 2-year-old boy lost everything in the fire. They left the Palisades that day literally with “the shirts on their backs.”
As with so many of us in the Palisades, they were hunkered down in a hotel—trying to make sense of it all. In one night, gone was Kaitlyn’s childhood home. And the place where she was raising their baby. And her hometown.
Fast-forward three days later.
Kaitlyn got a knock on her hotel room door, and it was Tina’s daughters. Her spectacular, caring daughters—testimony to “It’s not what you say, it’s what you do.”
They had driven up from San Diego to drop off something from her mom. Boxes and boxes of brand-new items for the three of them. Clothing, kitchenware, toys for their baby, you name it.
And then they came back two days later—with more.
——-
Back to Tina’s funeral.
The priest shared how, as with everyone else there, he was a beneficiary of Tina’s kindness with his two favorite sweaters that make him feel great about himself. He read a poem that, he said, summed up Tina.
“A bouquet of ordinary tasks
Made me thrilled to be alive”
At the end of the ceremony, her husband Greg walked up to the podium.
Could barely speak.
I can’t possibly express how emotional it was for everyone there.
He said through tears, “How blessed I was to spend my life with her. How lucky I was to have her as my partner.”
“My life, her life, it was one life,” Greg said.
“For me, she was everything. She was not only my wife, she was my girlfriend, my lover, my best friend, my only true confidant, my co-conspirator, my comedic partner, my past and my future.
“She gave meaning to the endless beauty of our creative world. She energized the process of discovery—because I could share it with her.”
“Don’t feel sorry for me,” Greg said. “I’m the lucky one.”
Looking at his three daughters in the first pew, Greg spoke about how Tina loved nothing more than them.
“With all her accomplishments, being your mom brought her more joy than anything else,” Greg said. “It was the highlight and honor of her lifetime.”
——-
One thing funerals remind you of. Is that life moves on.
It’s a few days later, and I’m back in the juggle of things, Catherine is off to babysit our grandson—and I’m sure Greg and his girls are doing what they can to forge a new rhythm of their new lives.
And our condo and all the places Tina touched? They’ll find their way.
But I’ll see Tina in lots of places in town as time goes by.
In the quiet joy. In the warmth of a neighbor’s smile. In the kind of grace in the way people show up for each other. In the way a sun can set, like it’s tucking the whole town in.
It seems when that rare person lives with that much heart, they don’t just make an impression—they leave a little of themselves behind.
They leave a mark on us. It’s subtle, but it’s there. You notice it, when you least expect it, on what you wear. On how you listen. On what you dream. It always appears in the quiet.
Tina did that. For me. For all of us.
Maybe Tina, in the “ordinary” of those tasks, didn’t change the town.
But she reminded us of who it is.
——-
Here is a link to Tina’s obituary, written by her husband, Greg: rb.gy/645gsl.
Jimmy Dunne is a modern-day Renaissance Man; a hit songwriter (28 million hit records), screenwriter/producer of hit television series, award-winning author, an entrepreneur—and a Palisadian “Citizen of the Year.” You can reach him at j@jimmydunne.com or jimmydunne.substack.com.
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